BCTF asks court to dismiss government mediator

CBC

The B.C. Teachers Federation says it will go to court to have the government-appointed mediator Charles Jago dismissed.

President Susan Lambert says the federation will argue that because Jago helped draft portions of the contentious Bill 22, he has a bias in favour of government and therefore isn't qualified to sit as an independent mediator in the ongoing dispute.

"He has no mediation background or experience. He had access to the legislation prior to it being tabled in the legislature," said Lambert.

No date for a court hearing has been set.

The BCTF had asked the B.C. Labour Relations Board to dismiss Jago for the same reasons, but the board ruled it did not have the authority to overrule the appointment because the position was created through a statute.

Jago, a former UNBC president, was appointed in March to try to find a mediated settlement to the ongoing contract dispute, after the province brought in legislation to end the teachers' strike and job action.

He has until the end of June to try to try to reach an agreement and if he can't strike a deal, he'll issue non-binding recommendations and the government has said it will pass legislation to settle the contract dispute.